


Where There's a Will, There's a Way

by newtypeshadow



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, Marriage Proposal, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Peggy's dad dies before the fic starts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24707386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/newtypeshadow/pseuds/newtypeshadow
Summary: Due to inheritance laws, Lord Carter has willed his considerable estate to Steve and left his grieving widow and daughter, Peggy, destitute. Their best hope now is Peggy marrying well.Which, thanks to the army and Lord Carter, could mean Steve—if only he's brave enough to propose.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Comments: 6
Kudos: 53
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	Where There's a Will, There's a Way

**Author's Note:**

> This is a giftfic for sushigrade, who answered the fic ask meme I hadn't realized I'd opened myself up to when I reblogged a list of AU prompts on tumblr. I don't tend to write het ships, and I've never written Steggy before, but I adore sushigrade, and the mix-up was my fault, so this fic was born.
> 
> Request: Steve/Peggy & Prompt #8: Regency AU - Person A inheriting Person B’s father’s estate and the only way to keep Person B’s family out of the poor house is for Person B to marry Person A.
> 
> Fulfills Banned Together Bingo square N4: “Unmarried Couple (Or More)”.
> 
> Thank you [swtalmnd](/users/swtalmnd), [queenthayet](/users/queenthayet), and the [Stuckony server](https://discord.gg/jtXcc3n) for your Regency brainstorming help! Many thanks also to my marvelous beta, [Odd Confection](/users/OddConfection), who we should _all_ thank for the much improved version of the fic you see before you! ♥ (The tumblr post draft was unbetaed and it shows.) Any mistakes you find are mine.

Steve stared at the letter. Read and reread it. Still, the message remained: Lord Carter was dead, and had left his considerable estate to Steve.

Which left Lord Carter's family destitute. Even with their social connections, it would take time for Peggy to find a governess position for a family that wouldn't prey on her. Steve couldn't stomach the idea of Peggy and her mother forced to live in a poor house until then. But they had no relatives to move in with, much less a male relative Lord Carter might have bequeathed his earthly possessions to with the stipulation of caring for his widow and only child. The Carters' best hope now was Peggy marrying well.

Hopes of marrying Peggy were why Steve joined the army despite being scrawny and unfit; why, when he lucked into a late growth spurt and much-improved health—likely the result of finally having enough to eat—Steve pushed himself to move up the ranks; why he'd volunteered himself and his men for seemingly impossible missions, and ensured they then delivered. Steve knew he couldn't approach a woman such as Lady Margaret Carter empty-handed.

He wasn't empty-handed anymore.

And… Steve looked at the other letter on his desk, addressed in the same neat, familiar penmanship as so many others he'd received and replied to and cherished since leaving town with the army.

Lord Carter had only been sick when Peggy wrote that letter. But in it, she had asked Steve to come home.

How could he deny her anything?

It took some doing to get his discharge papers in a hurry, and a few hard, overnight rides, but Steve was determined, and within a fortnight he was home. This was for Peggy, after all.

* * *

Peggy was practical as ever about the matter of inheritance as they walked her family's gardens soon after his return— _Steve's_ gardens now, though he would never dream of putting Peggy or her widowed mother out.

"It's good of you to let us stay here," Peggy said, "but you're unlikely to attract a wife while keeping an unmarried woman and a widow in your house."

"I'm not looking for a wife," Steve said with a huff. Why would he? The one he wanted was right beside him.

Peggy startled. "Oh." She looked away, embarrassment flushing her cheeks. "I always thought you planned to marry."

Steve was confused. "I do. We wrote about it."

"We did. You always said that you were looking for the right partner."

"I _was_." Steve took a fortifying breath, stopped, and turned to Peggy. It was now or never. "Peggy, I've wanted to marry you since you punched Gilmore Hodge in the face at your debutante ball. I just had nothing to offer you. That's why I joined the army."

"Oh," Peggy said again. "Well. That's good, then." She offered Steve her gloved hand, which he took in both of his. "Steven, I've wanted to marry you since you solved Lord Stark's unsolvable puzzle box and gave the money inside to that Parker boy."

Steve ducked his head. "His aunt needed the money."

"So did you," Peggy pointed out, smiling. She straightened her shoulders. "Captain Steven Grant Rogers, would you do me the honor of becoming my husband?"

Steve couldn't help the dopey smile that overtook him. "I— Of course!"

"Good. That's settled." Her tone was brusque, but her eyes were shining.

He got lost in them—and then realized what she'd done and couldn't help chuckling. "You know, you could've given me time to ask."

Peggy raised an eyebrow and tugged him to resume walking the garden path. "Steven," she said wryly, "I gave you six years. You were taking too long."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the fic! If you did, kudos and comments are the best way to let me know! (Also, full disclosure: I love getting them.) ^_^ ♥


End file.
